Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board found that the RO's decision to reduce the veteran's disability evaluation from 20 percent to noncompensable was proper, as there had been significant improvement in her condition.

The deciding factor: The September 2005 examination results showed full range of motion of the left ankle, which demonstrated improvement compared to the August 2004 examination that noted marked limitation of motion. The current symptomatology did not warrant a compensable rating under any relevant diagnostic codes.

Claimed conditions
left ankle lesion
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
January 9, 2009
Citation
0901003

Veterans Law Judge

L. M. BARNARD

Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0901003.

What this means for you

A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.